Process and device for avoiding collision while opening vehicle doors

Abstract

The opening of vehicle doors often leads to collisions with stationary obstacles that are not visible to the occupants or with moving obstacles that approach the vehicle without being noticed. Thus to avoid collisions when vehicle doors are opened, the aim of the invention is to take any modifications to the environmental situation of the vehicle as a result of a movement of the vehicle and the detected objects into consideration. This allows a collision of the vehicle doors with the objects to be reliably avoided. To achieve this, in a first step the portable trajectory of a vehicle is determnined. In an additional step, the objects in the vicinity of the vehicle are detected and probable trajectories of said detected objects are determined. Respective probability ranges are then defined both for the vehicle and the pivoting zone of the vehicle doors and for the detected objects. The probability ranges of the pivoting zones of the vehicle doors are respectively compared with the individual probability ranges of the objects, in order to determine whether they overlap. If an overlap is identified, a response; signal that indicates the risk of a collision is generated.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The invention concerns a process and device for avoiding collisions when opening vehicle doors. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] When opening the doors of a vehicle, there is always the danger of collision with stationary obstacles, which are not visible to vehicle occupants, or with moving objects, which approach the vehicle without being observed. To address this problem, environment sensor systems and driver safety systems are increasingly employed. These systems include distance warning, parking aids and backing up aids and total angle detection systems as well as separation sensors for indicating the distance of objects in the environment of the vehicle. The sensing of the environment of the vehicle occurs using ultra-sound sensors, near-and long-range radar, lidar, or with cameras with other adaptive optic sensors. A combination of multiple sensors may also be employed. [0005] DE 102 61 622 A1 descr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0031] The inventive device receives input from sensors present in the vehicle such as environment sensors and vehicle sensors. As warning means, loud speaker or warning lights could be considered, which likewise could pre-exist in the vehicle. The evaluation unit as well as the micro-processor are, as a rule are, connected via a bus system with the environment sensors, that is, the ultra-sound sensors, radar sensors or infra-red sensors or cameras.

Problems solved by technology

When opening the doors of a vehicle, there is always the danger of collision with stationary obstacles, which are not visible to vehicle occupants, or with moving objects, which approach the

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